Clif Knight 

Hartselle Enquirer

Hartselle gun dealers are seeing a spike in gun sales as the result of acts of terror and President’s Barack Obama’s push for stricter gun control.

“Sales of handguns are big right now,” said Joe Byford, a gun dealer for more than 40 years. He reopened Byford’s Gun and Pawn on December 4 after a major renovation of his business on West Main Street.

“It’s a sign of the times,” he said. “Back in the 70s and 80s, we had few calls for a handgun, and we could sell them without a background check as long as we knew the person making the purchase. Back then most people didn’t lock their doors at night.

“Today, Many people don’t feel safe because of mass killings linked to ISIS and other terror groups, as well as the threat of having the second amendment right to own a firearm taken away.”

“About two-thirds of the people we do business with are women who are buying their first gun for self-protection,” Byford added. “We offer guidance on what they need to do to purchase a gun and help them select the gun that best suits their need.”

“Every time President Obama makes a speech on gun control our gun sales go up,” said Mike Lawrimore, owner of Mike’s Gun and Pawn on Highway 31, south. He’s probably our best advertisement.”

He also pointed out that interest in gun ownership jumps anytime there’s a mass killing.

“People don’t feel safe anymore no matter if they’re at home, at work or in a crowd of people,” he said. “We’re not only seeing more interest in handguns, but larger guns as well.”

“It’s one thing to own a gun and another thing to know how to use it safely,” he added. “We always encourage a first time gun owners to attend a firearms safety class and learn how to operate their gun.”
Both Byford and Lawrimore said they don’t have a problem with dealing with background checks as they stand now but oppose the federal government putting stricter limits on gun ownership.”

The Morgan County Sheriff’s Department also reports a substantial increase in the number of people seeking a permit for a concealed weapon.

“The number of permits we issued in December doubled when compared to December a year ago,” a department spokesperson said.